Through The Peephole (short story)

Through The Peephole

May 29th, 2023

It's a sunny afternoon in Nola. It's the perfect weather outside. I start getting ready to go out for the night. There's always something to do out here. I'm not originally from here. I was born in Boston but with my job, I can't stay in one place too long. Before I knew it, my friends came walking in yelling, "Are you ready?". I walked out with a sly grin and said, "Of course, aren't I always?". They all just grin and say come on, the parties already started.

In New Orleans there's always a party, all you have to do is walk out your house. It's amazing. Too bad I can't stay here longer. I snap out of it as we make our way downstairs. You can hear the music through the doors as you're about to enter the street. As the night went on, we made our way to a couple clubs and then finally, we got food. Around 4 a.m. I made my way back home. As I walked up to my door, I heard something in there. Nobody's supposed to be here. I'm supposed to leave tomorrow. Could it be an informant?

I didn't recognize the man through the peephole, but he was exceptionally dressed and it made me nervous.

As I peer through the peephole, the mystery man doesn't seem to notice me. While his back is turned, I slowly open the door with my gun pulled out. I tell the man to slowly turn around, and he obeys. With the mystery man still at gunpoint, I ask him what he's doing here. "The boss sent me here and told me that you would need assistance on the next mission." I still don't trust him so I call my boss. Before I could even say hello, he cut me off, "Blaine is your assistant. He is there to assist you in any way you need." I told him that I work better alone but apparently, he doesn't think so. I slam my phone down on the table and put my gun down. I look Blaine over. He's an extremely handsome man, about 6'2, and he looks professional.

Blaine looks me over, but I stop him. Nobody needs to get to know me because it's pointless. I only spend at most, a month in some places. I stop him before he could ask any questions. I throw him a blanket and a pillow and tell him to get some rest because we're leaving at noon. I make my way to bed and lay there and think about what my boss was thinking, sending me an assistant. The next mission seems like a breeze, but now I have to keep an eye out for Blaine.

I wake up around 11. I pack and then take a shower. I walk outside to start making breakfast and I look over at Blaine and he's still peacefully sleeping. I might as well make us both breakfast and get to know him over breakfast. Maybe if I get to know him, it'll be easier to decide if he's an asset to the mission or a loose end...

As I start setting the table, Blaine wakes up and looks over with an elvish grin, "Goodmorning, Dabria. Breakfast smells amazing." I just give a little grin and start pouring our juice. I motioned for Blaine to come and sit with me. After breakfast, I try to get Blaine to talk about himself but it's like he's purposely trying to avoid it. I'm not the type of person to beat around the bush so I look him in the eyes and say, "You have to tell me about yourself. I need to get to know you before we get to the next city, or the mission won't work. I don't know if you're an asset or a loose end. The rest of today will help me figure it out." Blaine sits back in the chair looking frightened. "Cat got your tongue now? Start packing. We leave in 45 minutes."

I clean the dishes and head back to my room to grab my things. I come back out and Blaine is gone. Hopefully for good, but one can only hope. As I make my way downstairs, he's already waiting with our bags in the car. Hmmm. Maybe I could get used to this. I get in the car and set the GPS to Dallas, Texas. I look over at Blaine who's staring at me. I shoot him a death glare and tell him to drive because the sooner we get there the sooner we can part ways. On the ride there, Blaine starts opening up to me. He's originally from Pennsylvania and he has a mother and father still there. He has a brother and sister but his brother was murdered a couple years ago. After that, his sister went insane and had to be checked into a mental facility. After his brother was murdered, that's when he decided to work for my boss.